This invention relates to an improved manner of feeding creme uniformly to rows of cookies traveling in side-by-side relationship in a sandwiching machine and more particularly, to a dual feed stencil tube for a sandwiching machine.
An example of the type of sandwiching machine to which the present invention may be applied is shown in Fay U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,453. In the Fay sandwiching machine, two rows of cookies are carried in side-by-side relationship along taut wires by conveyors traveling at the same rates of speed. The cookes pass beneath stencil means which apply creme simultaneously to two cookies and then beneath a hopper for depositing another cookie on top of the creme on the cookie in each row, thus forming two sandwiches, with creme between the two cookies in each sandwich.
In the Fay sandwiching machine illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,453, the stencil means are comprised of a stencil sleeve or hollow shaft having a stencil or depositor drum with openings or orifices rotatable on the stencil sleeve. Creme is fed to one end of the stencil sleeve for discharge from the separate spaced openings or orifices. During use, the discharge from the orifices is sometimes not uniform. The orifice furthest from the inlet end of the stencil sleeve discharges less creme than the orifice closer to the inlet end of the stencil sleeve.
Subsequently, it was proposed that proportioning valve means be used to evenly distribute creme from at least a pair of orifices in the depositor drum. Two arrangements of proportioning valve means are shown in Talbot U.S. Pat. No. 3,340,824 and Rose U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,882. Such proportioning valve means provided a more uniform equalization of creme feed and discharge from the orifices than the Fay sandwiching machine.
However, there was a desire for not only more uniformity of feed of creme from at least two spaced apart discharge orifices, but also a sandwiching machine of enhanced capabilities. There has been provided by the present invention a unique stencil means or stencil assembly, which is fed from both sides of the discharge orifices, so as to provide for uniform discharge of creme from at least a pair of discharge orifices. The concept of feeding from both ends of a stencil means provides for other advantages not heretofore provided in sandwiching machines. The stencil means may be fed one creme at each end from an single hopper or the hopper can be divided or separate hoppers provided to feed a different creme to each side of the stencil means. For example, the inventive sandwiching machine can precisely and uniformly feed chocolate filling to one row of cookies and vanilla filling to the adjacent row of cookies in a two-row sandwiching machine.
An object of the present invention is to provide a stencil means fed from both ends for discharging creme uniformly onto rows of cookies traveling in side-by-side relationship in a sandwiching machine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sandwiching machine with improved stencil means having inlets at each end for receiving creme from one or two sources and uniformly discharging said creme from the stencil means.
Other objects and advantages will be made more apparent hereinafter.